LA Times' Steve Lopez shines a light on value of youth programs

It was great to see Steve Lopez's column in the Los Angeles Times today talking about the College Bound Program offered by the Boys & Girls Club of San Pedro. As a volunteer at an afterschool program and a parent, I have seen first hand the value of, need for and importance of making sure kids do well in school and have the opportunity to go on to college.

Studies show that the economic impact over the lifetime of a student is as much as a million dollars higher for those that complete high school compared with those that don't. The cost of a few hours a week in helping a child with their homework is nothing compared to the value that a successful self supporting individual brings to our society.

But, what is important to understand is the need for values based support in this area. The government/school sponsored programs will not address the issues that cause kids to dropout or prevent them from going to college. Clearly, one of the biggest risks to youth going to college is teenage pregnancy. Schools will not address this issue by saying that kids should not be having sex. In fact, many schools, including my son's offer support groups and education in regards to alternatives to the traditional husband/wife marriage relationship. We need to encourage our children to wait. We need to emphasize the importance of the traditional two parent family unit, and how important that is to the development of their children. Two parents instilling in their children the values of love, monogamy and marriage are the greatest hope for the future of our country.

We must support local programs that can offer children the support they need to do well in school, develop discipline, a strong work ethic and a desire to create a family the will honor God. I encourage you to find and support a local youth program either as a volunteer or financial supporter.